Hamilton announces contract with police union

For Hamilton Township, it is now a matter of one down and five to go on its union contracts.

Monday morning, Mayor Kelly Yaede’s administration announced it had reached an agreement with its larger police union, PBA local 66, for a new 3 1/2-year contract. In a press release announcing the deal, the administration announced it would save the township $1.4 million over the life of the agreement. The union represents more than 100 rank-and-file police officers in the township.

“Not only am I very proud of the outstanding work of our Hamilton Township police officers to protect and serve our community, but I also am very proud of their concern for our taxpayers, embodied by their recognition of the constraints our local government faces with the 2 percent cap law and by their commitment to bargaining in good faith to help achieve significant savings for our taxpayers,” Yaede said in the release announcing the agreement.

Business Administrator John Ricci said the officers will have a lower starting salary and 17 salary steps instead of seven. He said the top salary officers will receive 1.5 percent and 2 percent raises later in the contract.

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“It was a pretty smooth process I think the PBA negotiating team came to the table with a good idea of what could be accomplished,” he said.

PBA President Steven Gould said he and the union members realized that the township was not able to provide much in the way of salary increases or greater benefits.

“It’s kind of the best we could work out for everyone as a whole,” he said.

The contract, which replaces the previous agreement that ran out June 30, is the first of six the township is trying to negotiate. The agreement will have to go before council for final approval before it goes into effect. Yaede praised the recognition of the position the township was in, and the help their concessions provided to taxpayers.

“When those at the table come with reasonable expectations you can come to a reasonable settlement rather quickly,” Yaede said.

The township is still in negotiations with five other bargaining groups; three with the Communication Workers of America, the Superior Officers’ Association representing police supervisors and the local AFSCME representing its blue collar workers. Those negotiations, which started at roughly the same time, are not necessarily going as well.

She said those negotiations are progressing and hopes the township will have an agreement soon.

“They come to the table with varying priorities for their members,” she said of the five unions who are still operating on old contracts. “We are quite pleased to meet with them on a continual basis and hope to have resolution soon.”

Nicole Glonek, the president of the CWA Local 1042, which represents more than 150 of the township’s white collar employees, said the administration was making unreasonable demands of the union, such as pay freezes and getting rid of sick day buybacks.

She said the administration had also shot down the idea of two percent raises, which would cancel out higher health insurance premium and pension payments.

“We’re not asking for a lot of money but we are asking for fair treatment,” She said. “We were promised it and that’s what we want.”

She said the two will sit down for another meeting on July 10. She also said the union isn’t considering any action at the moment, but they are wearing red on Tuesdays.